Featured on Friday: Challenge Yourself with This Week’s #MustReads!

Where has the summer gone?! I’m thankful to not be governed by the school calendar this year, but August still feels like a “transition month” to me. It’s summer’s last hurrah; everyone’s trying to squeeze in one more vacation, and school is gearing up for students, parents, and teachers. Even those like me, who don’t have a family member in school, are influenced by the rhythms of the educational calendar.

Personally, I always try to re-evaluate my routines towards the end of the summer, whether they’re related to wellness habits or finances or time management. It feels like a good time to pause, reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far this year, and recalibrate before jumping into the last four months of the year. It’s not January, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t set new resolutions or goals: we still have time to reset our focus and challenge ourselves before the end of the year.

How about you? Here’s a few must-read links from recent weeks that might help you reassess your goals — and maybe even set some new ones!

If you’re looking for a change of scenery in your job — or if you’re just curious which organizations are most loved by their employees — check out this list from Anthology of the 40 Best Companies to Work For in 2016. Unfortunately, they forgot to include the very best one of all… Weaving Influence, of course! 🙂

Speaking of changing jobs: whether you love your current job or hate it, have you ever considered being intentional about leaving? Michael Hyatt reminds us to always “keep the end in mind,” and offers these 7 steps to take before you quit your job so you can depart graciously, no matter what the circumstances.

Of course, quitting isn’t always the answer — maybe you just need a new attitude towards work. One of our team members recommended Harvard Business Review‘s recent article, Unmasking Manly Men, which describes how an oil rig’s top-down shift in attitude led to some surprising improvements in safety and performance, and effectively changed workers’ perspectives of strong leadership.

Another thing we ought to be more intentional about? Our assumptions. Another team member shared Cathy Chester‘s article, Why We Should Never Make Snap Judgments. Far too often we judge a book by its cover, or a person’s character by their physical demeanor. Instead, Cathy suggests we should exercise our curiosity to discover the value that lies beneath the surface. I think we’d all be better off if we took the time to pause and consider what lurks behind the external appearance — of books or people! Don’t you?

Scott Mautz also shared about the power of assumptions, specifically the profound impact they have upon our attitudes and actions. Poor assumptions can lead to tunnel vision, misconceptions, stagnancy, missed opportunities, or worse. He offers an alternative with these 9 ways to challenge assumptions, which can help us see the world more clearly and discover new possibilities.

With the way our digital world is constantly shifting and evolving, it’s also smart to periodically evaluate how we’re showing up online. Our fearless leader, Becky Robinson, recently connected with Bidsy to discuss ways we can grow our online presence andAno increase our influence. Listen to the podcast here.

Speaking of Hometown Reads… we now have over 300 books on our site and are so excited to be welcoming new cities every month! Our latest additions include places in Michigan, California, Texas, and Oregon {see the full list here}. And there’s plenty of room for more! Whether you want to see your book or city featured on the site, or simply want to connect with other authors in your area, sign up here to join the . Also be sure to follow us on LinkedIn,Facebook, or Twitter to stay in the loop!

P.S. We have some exciting webinars coming up soon to help you intentionally cultivate a workplace culture that’s relevant, engaged, and enduring. Don’t miss out on these FREE opportunities from our amazing clients! Learn more here.

Now it’s your turn! What’s recently challenged you to stop and evaluate your goals or focus for this year? We’d love to hear about it!

About Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson loves the color yellow, strong coffee, long books, and mountain trails. She’s currently enjoying a brief sojourn in the green desert of Kemmerer, WY, where she and her husband are serving a church-planting internship. She blogs at DogFurandDandelions.com about thinking biblically in the everyday, enjoys creative pursuits like hand-lettering and playing the piano, and usually has a book project in the works as well.